William mason



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NoModeLf' Pathted Dec. 26, 1893.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(NoModeL) l' W. MASON.

` BRBBGH LOADING PIREARM.

Patented Deo. Z6, 1893.

N. N .wm

`N QU Se HE NATIONAL LITNOGRFHNG COMPANY.

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FFICE nfrnnr VILLIAM MASON, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE VVINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH-LOADING FIREARIV.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,633, dated December 26,1893.

Application tiled May 4, 1893. Serial. No. 472,948. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern/.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM MASON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Im provement in Breech-Loading Firearms, (CaseD;) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a broken view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a gun constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a view corresponding to Fig. l, but showing the breech-block open; Fig. 4, a detached broken view in side elevation of the gun barrel; Fig. 5, a view thereof in end elevation; Fig. 6, a detached View in side elevation of the breech block; Fig. 7, a similar rear view thereof; Fig. 8, a similar front view thereof; Fig. 9, a detached View in side elevation of the hammer.

My invention relates to improvements in breech-loading nre-arms of the single-shot ride type, the object being to produce a si mple and highly effective arm.

Vith these ends in view, my invention consiStS in the combination, in a breech-loading fire-arm, with the barrel thereof, of a breechblock having sliding interlocking movement Aupon the butt-end of the barrel, which is adapted thereto, a hammer pivoted in the said block, a trigger also pivoted in the block, and depending therefrom, and adapted to coact with the said hammer, and a spring for actuating the breech -block in its upward movement. y

My invention furtherconsists in certain detailsof construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, l employ a gun having a barrel A, a stock B, constructed with a chamber B', and a guard plate C, attached at its rear end to the stock, by means of a screw C, and at its forward end by a screw C2 to a block D, connected with the under face of the gun barrel the said plate having a guard C*l formed integral with it. The butt-end of the gun barrel is constructed with two corresponding transverse grooves a Ct, inclined forward from the vertical, and with two correspondingly inclined ribs ct a located directly behind the said grooves, whereby a coupling head is virtually formed at the said end of the barrel. I further employ a breech-block E, constructed with a recess or chamber E', adapting it to fit over the said end of the gun-barrel, which it embraces, the said block being constructed with two inclined iianges e e, extending toward each other, and taking into the grooves a ct of the barrel, and with two inclined grooves c e receiving the ribs a a of the same. The breech block is thus adapted to have inclined sliding interlocking movement upon the butt-end of the gun-barrel. The said breech-block is furtherprovided with a downwardly inclined rearwardly projecting finger-piece E2, by means of which it is depressed. In its reciprocation the breech-block is supported by the bearing of its upper end upon the gun-barrel, and the bearing of its lower end against the walls of an opening C3, formed in the guard, and through which it passes. The said opening is elongated sufficiently to permit the lower end of the breech-block to be swung forward and back enough for a locking-notch g4 ex` tending transversely across its forward face to be engaged with'and disengaged from a retaining shoulder g5 formed in the front wall of the said opening or passage C3. When the block is pushed downward into its open position by its finger-piece E2, its lower end is thrown forward, and its notch gL is engaged Awith the said shoulder g5, whereby the block is locked or retained in its open position against the tension of its main-spring I, which will be more particularly referred to later on.

Averticallyelongatedcentral slotE3,formed in the breech-block, receives the hammer F, which is hung on a pivot F', mounted in the breech-block, the said hammer being furnished, below the pivot, with a half-cock notch f, and a cock-notch f. A small, vertical slot Etl formed in the upper end of the breechblock, receives the nose Fgof the hammer, and permits the same to impinge against the rim of the cartridge.

IOO

A trigger G, hung on a horizontal pivot g, mounted in the lower end of the breech-block, is constructed at its upper end with a sear g', which coacts with the notches ff in the hammer. At a point below the pivot g, and in its rear face, the trigger is counter-bored, as at g2, to receive a spiral trigger-spring I-I, the other end of which is inserted in a counterbore g3 formed in the lower end of the breechblock, the said spring operating to throw the lower end of the trigger forward, whereby its upper end is moved rearward so as to engage with the notched lowerend of the hammer. Au opening 0,'formed in the guard in line with the lower end of the trigger, provides for the clearance of the same when the breechblock is pushed downward by means of its finger-piece into its open position.

The main-spring I, before mentioned, consists, as herein shown, of a long rod extending at its rear end into the slot E8 of the block, and bent upward for engagement with an antifriction roll F2, carried by the hammer, the forward end of the rod being extended through an opening formed in the block D, and curved downward and forward, its extremity being constructed with a hook I', which is engaged with a shoulder D', provided thereto in the block D. As thus arranged, the said spring has the two-fold function of closing the breechblock and maintaining the same in its closed position, and of operating the hammer in firing the cartridge in the gun.

For the extraction of the spent cartridges, I employ an extractor consisting of a rod J, having its rear end bent upward as at J', and extending into a recess j formed in the butt end of the gun-barrel, and having its forward end extended beyond the forward end of the stock B, and turned downward as at J 2, for convenience in being taken hold of manually for being slid back and forth as required. rlhe said rod is supported in bearings K K depending from the gun-barrel at suitable points thereon.

To load my improved gun its breech-block is pressed downwardagainst the tension of its main spring, by its finger-piece, whereby its lower end is thrown forward. Then when it reaches its open position, its notch g4 will engage with the shoulder g5, whereby the block will be retained in its open position during the loading of the gun. Then the projecting lower end of the block is drawn back to disengage its notch from the retaining-shoulder with which it has been engaged, and the block is allowed to be returned to its closed position by its main-spring which is restrained by downward pressure upon the finger-piece of the block, whereby the same is prevented from closing with any shock. The gun having now been loaded and the breech-block closed, the hammer is cocked against the tension of the spring I, which gives it its impetus, when it is finally released by the trigger which is operated in the ordinary manner.

It is apparent thatin carrying out my invention some changes in the details of construction herein shown and described may be made, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact form represented, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. I am aware, however, that a vertically movable breech-block is old; that it is old to employ a breech-block applied to and interlocking with the butt end of a gun-barrel s0 as to slide up and down in a nearly vertical plane and to pivot a trigger and a hammer in such 'a block, and also that it is old to utilize one spring for the operation of a vertically movable breech-block, and a hammer. I do not therefore claim any of those constructions broadly. Y,

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is- Y l. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a breechblock constructed to be interlocked with the butt end of the barrel so as to slide up and down thereupon in a nearly vertical plane, a hammer pivoted in the said block, a trigger also pivoted in the block and depending therefrom, a spring for throwing the block into its closed position, and a guard-plate provided with a-guard and constructed withan opening leading into the same, for the passage through it of the lower end of the block and the trigger, the said lower end of the block being adapted to engage with a fixed part of the gun for holding it in its depressed or open position, substantially as described.

2. In a breech-loading hre-arm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a breechblock constructed to be interlocked with the butt-end of the barrel so as to slide VupV and down thereupon in a nearly vertical plane,a hammer pivoted in the sai'd block, a trigger also pivoted in the block.' and depending therefrom, a spring for throwing the block into its closed position, and a guard-plate provided with a guard, and constructed with an opening leading into the same for the passage through it of the lower end of the block and the trigger, the said lower end of the block being notched in its forward edge to take into a shoulder formed in the guard-plate for holding the block in its open position, substantially as described.

3. In a breech-loading lire-arm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a breechblock constructed to be interlocked with the butt-end of the barrel, so as to slide up and down thereupon in a nearly vertical plane, a hammer pivoted in the said block, a trigger also pivoted in the block and depending therefrom, a spring for throwing the block into its closed position, and a guard-plate provided with a guard, and constructed with an opening leading into the same, for the passage through it of the lower end of the block and IOO IIO

the trigger for which latter an opening is also formed in the guard in line with the said opening in the guard-plate, and thelower end of the block being adapted in its forward edge to be engaged with the xed portion of the gun for holding the block in its open position, substantially as described.

4. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a breechblook constructed to be interlocked with the butt-end of the barrel so asto slide up and down thereupon in a nearly Vertical plane,

and having a vertically elongated slot lol cated below its upper end, a hammer entered at its lower end into the said slot in which it is pivoted, a trigger pivoted in the lower end ofthe block in posit-ion to co-act with the lower end of the hammer, a spring passing through the slot in the block, and engaging with the lower end of the hammer which it operates, as well as the block, and a guardplate having a guard, and constructed with an opening leading into the said guard, and forming a passage for the lower end of the block and the trigger which depends therefrom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM MASON.

lVitnesses:

FRED C. EARLE, GEO. D. SEYMOUR. 

